


Yeah. Together

by tiredgayy



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, BokuakakurotsukiWeek2020, Flowers, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27386053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tiredgayy/pseuds/tiredgayy
Summary: TW for Self-harmFlowers grow whenever your soulmate injures themselves. Tsukishima finds himself surrounded by them.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Tsukishima Kei, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei
Comments: 6
Kudos: 314
Collections: BokuAkaKuroTsuki Week 2020





	Yeah. Together

“Mama?” a young Kei cried.

“Yes, baby?”

“My knee feels funny.”

“Oh? Let me see.”

His mother gently carried him onto her lap and examined the place that Kei was pointing at. She saw a flower blooming on his knee. It was a gorgeous white flower- Iris. The tiny flowers trickled down his knee as they continued to grow.

“Kei! What happened?”

The child looked at the ground. “I dunno. I was playing with my dinosaurs.”

“Oh, baby. Your soulmate must’ve gotten hurt.”

Kei tried to process the words that his mother had just said. 

“Soulmate? What’s a soulmate?”

His mother giggled at his innocence. “Well, it’s the person that you are connected to. It’s the person that is supposed to make you happiest. Your soulmate is going to be the person that would face all the bad guys just to make you smile.”

“Woah, “ said the wide-eyed boy. “Will they fight the dinosaurs too?”

“Yes, my little dino. They will fight the dinosaurs for you.”

“I don’t want them to fight the dinosaurs,” he mumbled while fidgeting with his fingers. His mother grabbed his hands and hugged him tightly.

The child spoke again. “Are you and father soulmates?”

“Yes, dear. Yes, we are.”

“Oh.” Kei thought for a while, tugging on his mother’s shirt to keep his hands occupied. “Are soulmates bad too?”

“Why do you ask that?”

“Father doesn’t make you happy.”

His mother looked at her son sadly.

“Father always yells at you to bring more beer. A-and he hits you sometimes when he is really, really, really angry.”

His mother stopped playing with her son’s hair. Kei looked up at her, eyes filled with curiosity and questions. 

“Well, Kei, a long, long time ago, your father and I were very happy.”

“The happiest?”

She giggled. “Yes. The happiest we ever were. When we were in school, he would always get hurt. He fell down stairs and ran into more doors that I can count.” 

Kei giggled and his mother poked at his sides. “Every time he got hurt, he would bring me flowers. He thought it was sweet- to be given flowers rather than being surrounded by them without your will.”

“Did you keep the flowers?”

“Oh, I did. Every single one of them. I kept them for as long as I could.”

“Then why don’t we have any more flowers, Mama?”

She stared at the empty vase at the windowsill but her gaze seemed to be elsewhere. The subject was promptly dropped after that.

\---

Tsukishima scowled at the sight of the team’s idiot duo. Kageyama and Hinata were being as annoying as ever. Yamaguchi and Yachi sauntered up to him.

“Do you think they could be soulmates?” asked Yamaguchi.

“Shut up, Yamaguchi. You know I don’t believe in that stuff.”

“Sorry, Tsukki! I was just wondering if they could be, ya know?”

“If they are, then it’s a match made in heaven: stupid and stupider.”

Yamaguchi put his hand up to his face and snickered.

“Hey, Tsukki?” asked Yachi. “Why don’t you believe in soulmates?”

“I just don’t.”

Yachi seemed satisfied with that answer, but Yamaguchi was staring at him questioningly.

On their walk home, Yamaguchi stopped to stare at Tsukishima.

“What is it?”

“You have flowers falling from your jacket.”

Tsukishima quickly rolled his sleeves to stop the flowers from falling.

“Ignore it.”

“But Tsukki! You can’t deny that soulmates don’t exist.”

“I never did. I just don’t believe in the ‘fate’ aspect of it all. I want nothing to do with them.”

And with that, he left towards his house.

\---

Tsukishima walked towards his room, greeting his mother along the way. He fell onto his bed and felt his eyes well up with tears. 

His jacket sleeves were filled with Gerbera Daisies. They sprouted from his wrists and fell around him, suffocating him in soft petals and sweet scents. The tears fell over and decorated the flowers. 

After a while, the flowers began to fall from his thighs. It was like a waterfall, so beautiful yet so terrifying. The flowers bloomed in white waves. It was a terrible game of tug-of-war. One day, his arms would trickle with white and on other days, he would be the one bleeding out. 

Still, no matter how often he put the razor to his skin, it was more painful to be on the other end. He felt hopeless as the flowers covered his bedsheets. He must’ve cried loudly, as his mother came bursting through the door.

“Ma. They’re doing it again.”

She looked at him sadly. “Oh, baby…”

She gathered him in his arms and held him as he cried. “It’s not your fault, dear. It’ll be alright.” 

\---

Nekoma came over for a practice match against Karasuno and Tsukishima did not know how to handle the enigma that was Kuroo Tetsurou. 

He was charming and respectful towards his elders and he was reliable both on and off the courts. Tsukishima watched closely as the captain bowed in front of the coaches before returning to his teammates with a bright grin. Despite the smiles and laughter, his eyes were calculating. Tsukishima felt as though he was being torn apart over and over again whenever Kuroo looked at him.

Tsukishima felt his eyes on his back during the game. When they took a time-out, he felt a piercing gaze track his every move. It was exhilarating and terrifying.

Exhilarating because it felt like someone was paying attention to his every move as though he was someone of high worth.

Terrifying because someone was paying attention to him as though he was a mystery ready to be unraveled.

Tsukishima wondered if Kuroo’s parents had divorced as well- if he had also been wary of the idea of soulmates. It was disappointing, to say the least. Tsukishima was unable to figure out anything about the elder. Still, he watched the captain, hoping to draw any information he could.

At the end of the match, Kuroo commented on his behavior, saying that he could afford to be more childish and Tsukishima couldn’t help but panic. He set forth a dismissive face and walked away. And still, the feeling of being watched fell over him.

\---

_“Oi Tsukishima-kun!”_

_“Yes, Kuroo-san?”_

_“Give me your number.”_

_“Why would I do that?”_

_“Because I want to unravel the mystery that is Tsukishima Kei.”_

_“And if I don’t want you to?”_

_“Well, I’ll figure it out anyways.”_

_And with a lopsided smile and a terrible attempt at a wink, Kuroo received a new contact._

\---

Tsukishima was watching a documentary when he felt a tingle in his fingertips. Queen Anne’s Lace fell from his thumbs and into his lap. He got up to show his mother, who was ecstatic.

“Oh! Your soulmate must sew! Be sure to get them a thimble some time.”

“How did you even figure that out?”

His mother gave him a cheeky smile and showed him her own hands. 

That night, he went to bed wondering if his soulmate was as kind as his mother.

(He tried to ignore the flowers that fell from his hips late that night.)

\---

After weeks of silence, Kuroo began to text him. It started off with horribly taken selfies and cat photos and eventually evolved into real conversations. Tsukishima would get bombarded with texts in the morning, at lunch, and at night. It left him wondering if Kuroo had absolutely nothing to do all day. No one should have that much free time.

Of course, the topic of soulmates came up. Despite Tsukishima’s unwillingness to talk about it, Kuroo managed to pry bits and pieces from him.

_Kuroo-san:_

_Say, Tsukki  
Can I call you? _

Tsukishima replied an affirmative and immediately received a phone call.

“Tsukishima Kei.”

“Yes, Kuroo-san?”

“I think I figured out the mystery.”

“By all means, please humor me.”

“You’re scared.”

“Excuse me?”

“Something happened, I’m not sure what, but you’re scared.”

“I’m sorry, but you’re mistaken.”

“No. I’m not.”

Tsukishima sighed. “Of course you aren’t. What is the point in telling me this? Do you want me to praise you for figuring me out?”

“No. All I can say is this: live a little more.”

“I don’t think I understand.”

“Living and existing aren’t the same thing. You might be alive, but are you really living?”

And the ever-so-cryptic Kuroo hung up.

\---

Irises surrounded Tsukishima that night; flowers slowly falling from his chest as though they were embracing him. This time, he stayed quiet, choosing to muffle his sobs with his fists instead of waking up his mother.

\---

The daily texts resumed as normal, as though the phone call had never existed. Kuroo might’ve acted as though it meant nothing, but it has been weighing down on Tsukishima since. On the way to school, Tsukishima asked Yamaguchi if he thought he was living or simply existing.

“Well, I think I’m living. Ever since the Aoba Johsai match, it felt like the world became a little bit brighter.”

Tsukishima said nothing, but urged him to go on.

“Sometimes, you think you’re happy with what you have, but then, another thing appears in front of you and you want nothing more than to reach out and grab for it.”

“What did the Aoba Johsai match have to do with anything?”

“It made me realize that I wanted to be more than just a bench warmer. I wanted to be out there; I wanted to play. I wanted to be nervous and excited and everything in between.”

Tsukishima nodded, acknowledging what Yamaguchi had told him. 

“What about you, Tsukki? Are you living or existing?”

In response, he merely shrugged. Just like that, the topic was never breached again.

\---

When Takeda-sensei announced that they were going to Tokyo for a training camp, the team was overjoyed (though they were less excited when they found out they were really going to have to study.) Yamaguchi rambled on and on about Ubugawa’s incredible serves and Tsukishima found himself lost in his thoughts.

The training camp was miles and miles away and he was going to be surrounded by idiots the entire time. Additionally, they would play nonstop. 

But Kuroo-san was going to be there.

Tsukishima was at crossroads. He rubbed his hands over his face and sighed. 

When he got home, he immediately flopped onto his bed. Just the mere thought of having to play volleyball nonstop was tiring. He thought about all the jumping he would have to do and the inevitable punishments that came with losing. He thought about the idiots on his team and their annoying personalities. 

He threw an arm over his eyes and willed the thoughts to go away. Eventually, he came to the conclusion that he would simply not go. It was far too much of a hassle anyway.

He kept the permission slip in his bag, keeping it away from his mother. 

The next day, his teammates berated him for his lack of a signed permission slip. 

“Tsukishima?”

“Yes, Coach?”

“I have good news for you: your mother agreed to let you go.”

“Excuse me?”

“I gave her a call and told her that we needed our precious MB, so now you’re going.” Ukai gave him a generous smile and Tsukishima hesitantly smiled back.

“That’s good to hear,” he replied with a short bow. “Thank you.”

Ukai gave him a thumbs up and slapped him on the back. “Now get back to practice.”

Tsukishima stalked back towards the court, feet dragging like lead. The training camp was going to be far more draining than actual practice. He couldn’t dare to imagine the amount of pain his feet would be in at the end of the day.

Tanaka slapped his back and they began to play. Tsukishima reckons it was a nice distraction at that moment.

His teammates were still so energetic after the game, despite the large amount of exercise they had just done.

“Bakayama! I’m not going to lose to you! I’m going to get a higher grade!”

“Boke Hinata Boke! I’m going to kick your ass.” The two of them chased each other around the court while the third years laughed. 

Tsukishima excused himself and left the premises, quickly walking home. He didn’t even wait for Yamaguchi.

“I’m home.”

“Kei! Be a dear and set the table.”

Tsukishima nodded and did as he was told. The two of them sat around the table and began to eat.

“So, a training camp in Tokyo. How exciting.”

Tsukishima nodded, trying to dismiss the topic entirely. 

“Aren’t you excited?”

Tsukishima thought for a while, trying not to displease his mother, who seemed so happy for her son. He thought about the teams and the players that were bound to be there and smiled.

“Yeah. I am.”

“Oh? Tell me about it, darling.”

“There’s this guy named Kuroo Tetsurou….”

\---

Tsukishima was grateful for the lack of blubbering idiots, as it was far too early for anyone to be excited.. He put on his headphones and slipped into his own peaceful world. He let himself rest for the time being, falling asleep before his thoughts would drift into a terrible place.

He stepped off of the bus and was immediately greeted by Kuroo. 

“Oi Tsukki!”

“Don’t call me that.”

The elder laughed and patted him on the back. “C’mon. We’ve got games to play.”

Tsukishima groaned, but the hand on this back began to rub circles and the restful thoughts were disappearing from his mind. 

The moment he stepped into the room, he was bombarded with a large presence. 

“Hey hey hey! Kubro!” 

“Brokuto!”

The two overgrown children embraced. They shared a greeting before the silver-haired man turned to look at Tsukishima, eyes wide and penetrating. He looked like an owl and Tsukishima had never felt so terrified. Luckily for him, a beautiful man walked towards them and beckoned Bokuto away, throwing an apologetic look over his shoulder.

Then, the matches began. Tsukishima watched as the players around him put their all into the sport, unrelentlessly thinking and trying hard to win. Hinata was determined to make his plays worth more than just Kageyama’s set and Yamaguchi’s sight was constantly drawn towards Ubugawa. Tsukishima felt out of loop.

Tsukishima ran up to block. The ball slammed into his arms, forcing him backwards. They lost that match. Daichi clapped his hands and they made their way outside. They ran and ran and the doubtful, tired voices returned. 

He heard Daichi remark on his work ethic and Tsukishima picked up his pace. When they all returned to the school, his teammates were all eager to play again (after drinking some water of course.) Tsukishima felt the life drain out of him as they all made their way towards the court. He stared at the team before him and sagged. 

Their serves were incredibly difficult to hit, constantly bruising his arms. He received a large amount of criticism after failing to receive the third serve in a row. Since then, Tsukishima’s heart sank every time he was forced into the back row. He made note of the disappointed faces of his teammates and sighed. Was he expecting anything else?

They lost, again, and dived their way around the court once more.

\---

Tsukishima snickered as he walked past Nishinoya in the cafeteria. The amount of food that Nishinoya and Hinata ate always amused him, considering their height. He sat down and was immediately tackled by the libero. 

“Nishinoya-san, how is it that you are still so short?”

“I’m not short, you beanstalk! I’m fun sized.”

Tsukishima fell into another round of mocking laughter before returning to his meal. He saw Kuroo approach him with a plate of food. He scowled when the food was dumped on his own meal.

“Kuroo-san. I can’t eat this.”

“Sure you can, Tsukki.”

“Don’t call me that.” Tsukishima began to pick at his food, blatantly refusing to eat any of it. Kuroo shook his head.

“If you don’t eat, how do you plan on surviving individual practice?”

“By not going to individual practice.”

Kuroo looked at him schemingly before walking away. Tsukishima promptly threw away the plate.

\---

Tsukishima ran into Fukurodani’s setter after dinner, during a casual walk. 

“Tsukishima-kun? Are you going to individual practice?” 

“Hello, Akaashi-san. I don’t think I will.”

“Oh? Why is that?” They started to slow down their pace, prompting a longer conversation. “Do you even like volleyball?”

“Not particularly, no.”

Akaashi nodded. “I didn’t either.”

“You seem so excited when you play. What changed?”

“I fell in love with it. I fell in love with seeing my teammates laugh and cheer on the court. Bokuto had just made an incredible spike and all I could think was ‘Wow. I was a part of all of this.’ I felt like I had succeeded in every way; that I was worthy of so much.”

Tsukishima stared at Akaashi in awe as the two of them continued to walk. 

“Why talk to me, Akaashi-san? I’m curious.”

“Because I feel like you are worthy of so much. You might not know it, but you are.” Akaashi smiled. He grabbed Tsukishima’s hand and continued to guide him towards the third gym. 

“Akaashi-san? Do you believe in soulmates?”

“Yes and no.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I don’ t think that fate already has everything planned out for us, yet the flowers are undeniably there.”

Tsukishima nodded in understanding. “Then how do you go about it?”

“When I first found my soulmates, I thought that we were never going to work out. Bokuto was too boisterous and Kuroo was too mischievous.” Tsukishima felt his heart drop at the implication that they were all together already. Still, he persisted that Akaashi continue.

“After a few weeks of them not leaving me alone, I finally decided to go on dates with them. Next thing you know, I’m dating both of them.” He laughed to himself. “At this point, I’m just going with the flow. Whatever happens happens.”

“Are you ever scared of it falling apart?”

“Not really. I wouldn’t wish for it to, but if it does, then so be it. Life goes on. I would have regretted not trying even more.”

Tsukishima processed his words. Akaashi put a hand on his shoulder and they arrived at the third gym. Bokuto and Kuroo were already there, arguing over some mundane issue. 

As he entered, he watched Akaashi snicker behind his hand. Tsukishima felt his heart jump a little at the sight. Bokuto and Kuroo were surprised with Tsukishima’s presence, but welcomed him nonetheless. Soon enough, the four of them began doing drills.

Despite Tsukishima’s previous indifference, he felt at ease when playing with the three elders. 

Kuroo was filled with unwavering determination, constantly giving Tsukishima advice. Whenever Tsukishima jumped to block, he felt Kuroo’s observing eyes on him. During their water break, Kuroo had explained to him all of his mistakes. He had also pointed out Tsukishima’s best attributes and told him to enhance the efficiency of it all.

All the while, Tsukishima got to see Akaashi in a new light as well. Being with Akaashi felt safe. Despite his physique, Akaashi seemed to hold high authority over everyone. Akaashi pushed a water bottle into Tsukishima’s hand and demanded that he drink water. Tsukishima did. 

There was something so inviting about Bokuto. The mere presence of the man urged Tsukishima to try harder- to put more effort in every block. Tsukishima lined himself up to block. He raised his arms (slightly forward, as Kuroo taught him) and watched for the trajectory of the spike. As his eyes trailed towards Bokuto’s arm, he caught sight of Bokuto’s own eyes. He faltered a bit. The ball flew straight past his ears and hit the ground.

“Aw Tsukki!” exclaimed Bokuto. “You were so close that time too. I saw it!”

Kuroo and Akaashi made no remarks, but stared at Tsukishima. He tried to shrink back at the intense gaze. He saw the two of them share a look before agreeing to casually resume the practice. Soon enough, a multitude of volleyballs were strewn around the court. Tsukishima placed his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath.

Kuroo smirked and offered to assist Tsukishima. With the two of them blocking Bokuto, they managed to stop him entirely. Bokuto groaned and Kuroo laughed at him. The lighthearted atmosphere dispersed at the mention of Tsukishima’s teammate. 

There was an awkward pause, before Tsukishima excused himself.The three of them shared a look, before greeting the newcomers. In the chaos, Tsukishima left. 

He grabbed his bag and walked towards the showers. He stood under the shower, thankful for the lack of people in the room. Once he was done, he heard a cacophony of voices outside. He held his breath as the group of boys walked past the bathroom, presumably towards the sleeping rooms. He waited a moment more before leaving. Upon walking back to the room, he noticed a dim stream of light coming out of a room. He was certain that it was not a room for any of the teams, nor was it a bathroom.

As he contemplated his next course of action, his thighs burst in pain. Gerbera Daisies were beginning to litter the ground and Tsukishima looked around frantically, hoping to come across an indicator on what to do. Seeing as there was none, he opened the door to the dim.

Bokuto was sitting against the wall, surrounded by bloody tissues. Tsukishima gaped at him and Bokuto panicked. 

“It’s not what it looks like. Well, it is. Wait! Don’t tell anyone! Please!”

Tsukishima stood still for a moment longer, before noticing the flowers still falling onto the ground. Bokuto noticed as well. In a state of irrationality, Tsukishima picked up the blade and cut his thigh, the motion so terribly familiar to him. 

“Tsukki! What the hell are you doing?” Bokuto scrambled over with a handful of tissues, dabbing at the blood. Tsukishima made no notion, staring at the flowers falling from Bokuto’s thigh. He gingerly picked up the flowers.

“Tsukki?”

Bokuto and Tsukishima stared at each other. Bokuto reached for Tsukishima and lifted his shirt, revealing his own scars. The two of them continued to watch each other, ignoring the tears welling up in their eyes. It wasn’t until they heard footsteps outside when they broke out of the trance. The two of them tried to silently clamber into the back of the room. Bokuto pulled Tsukishima into his lap and the two of them held their breath as the footsteps got louder. 

The voices outside the room got louder. “Bokuto! Where the hell are you?” “Koutarou-san? Are you here?”

Bokuto gave Tsukishima a silent, pleading look and Tsukishima nodded. The two of them remained quiet as the footsteps and voices went away. Once they were certain they were gone, they finally let out a breath. 

“Thanks Tsukki!”

“What was that about?”

“I dunno. Just wanted to talk to you first. Y’know. About the flowers and stuff.”

The two of them made their way to opposite walls and sat down. The room was silent for a while, with neither of them knowing how to start a conversation. 

A few minutes passed when Bokuto meekly asked, “Q&A?”

Tsukishima blinked a bit before shrugging his shoulders. “Bokuto-san, why do you look so scared when you play?”

Bokuto scrunched his eyebrows. “Whaddya mean?”

‘When you spike, you look scared. I’m not sure how else to explain it. Does it have something to do with the…,” he gestured towards the bloodied mess on the ground. 

Bokuto scratched the back of his head. “Yeah. I think so. I’m scared of not being good enough, I think.”

“You’re one of the best aces in the country. How could you not be enough for anyone?”

Bokuto gave a somber smile. “I’m just not. My classmates think I’m stupid and my parents think I’m terrible at volleyball. Sometimes, I feel like I’m not good enough for my soulmates either.”

“Who are your soulmates?”

Bokuto smiled so brightly it almost hurt Tsukishima’s eyes. “Kuroo and Akaashi and you! I think.”

“Are they my soulmates too?”

“Yeah. They are.”

Tsukishima tried to subtly inch forward, but Bokuto caught wind of it. He patted the ground next to him and Tsukishima occupied that spot within seconds. Bokuto took Tsukishima’s hands and began playing with the slender fingers. The blond tried to hide his blush by looking away, and Bokuto took the opportunity to lay his head on his sharp shoulder. 

“Bokuto-san. You’ll always be good enough. For me, at least.”

“Aw. Thank Tsukki!”

Tsukishima returned a smile of his own, but immediately frowned when he saw the tears on Bokuto’s face. He tried to brush them away, but they came too quickly. Tsukishima simply held the elder in his arms in defeat. 

“Tsukishima?”

“Yes?”

“Will I still be enough, even after you get to know me better?”

“Well, Akaashi-san and Kuroo-san have known you for a long time and they still love you, right? You won’t ever fall short of being enough.”

Bokuto seemed to drift off into space. His eyes were unseeing as he remembered. “Sometimes, Akaashi doesn’t go to school cause he’s too tired. He just sits in his bed a-and he looks so sad. He always gets like that when someone makes fun of him for being gay. Oh and Kuroo sometimes tries to make everyone happy, but ends up hurting himself instead. There was one time some old lady said something about a ripped scarf and Kuroo spent the entire night learning how to sew. He didn’t sleep at all. It was real bad.”

He sniffled again. “I don’t know how to help them, but they always help me. I want to help them, but I don’t know how.”

Tsukishima laid his head in Bokuto’s lap. “I don’t know how to help people either. I’m sorry, Bokuto-san.”

The owl smiled and ran his fingers through blond locks. “That’s alright, Tsukki.”

The two of them sat there for a while in a comfortable silence for a moment, appreciating each other. “Tsukki? Why do you do it?” He gestured towards the scars on Tsukishima’s stomach. 

“I’m just tired.”

“Ah. I see. Well, I’m your soulmate, so I’ll make you feel better!”

Tsukishima smiled to himself. The silence returned. Eventually, they had to clean up and return to their rooms. The two of them gathered the tissues from off the ground and threw it away in the trash. The two of them walked back, hand in hand. Once they reached Karasun’s room, Bokuto spoke.

“Hey, Tsukki! Let’s tell Akaashi and Kuroo tomorrow! I think they’ll be happy.” 

Tsukishima nodded and yawned. He placed a small kiss on Bokuto’s cheek before stepping into the room for a good night’s rest.

\---

The next morning, he awoke to the sound of hushed whispers. Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Hinata were eyeing him strangely and Tsukishima gave them a rude look in return. Sugawara looked at the door with murderous intent while Daichi tried to keep him calm. Outside the door, he heard multiple calls of “Tsukki!” and “Tsukishima-kun.”

He stepped outside and into the awaiting arms of Bokuto. Tsukishima yelped at the sudden embrace, causing Bokuto to break into giggles. In the background, he heard Tanaka whistle and Hinata laugh.

Tsukishima took Bokuto’s hand and urged him to take them somewhere far, far away. Bokuto nodded eagerly and they made their way towards the hills outside of the gym. There, they found Akaashi and Kuroo already waiting for them. Upon the sight of his boyfriend, Kuroo jumped up and hugged Bokuto. 

“Bro! Are you alright? Where did you go last night? What happened? Why is Tsukishima here?”

Akaashi awkwardly coughed and Kuroo released his hold on Bokuto. Tsukishima tried to hide himself a bit more by standing behind Bokuto, but Akaashi called out to him. 

“Tsukishima-kun? What happened last night? Were you with Bokuto?”

“Yes. We-”

Bokuto cut him off. “He’s our soulmate!”

Akaashi and Kuroo let that sink in. Kuroo gestured towards Tsukishima’s shirt. “Can you- Do you have the scars?”

“Yeah, I do.” Tsukishima lifted his shirt slightly, just even to reveal the rows and rows of self-mutilation. Akaashi was speechless, sharing his thoughts through his tears instead of words. He brushed his hand over Tsukishima’s stomach before retracting quickly. 

“I’m so sorry.”

Tsukishima looked at Akaashi with a tilt of his head. “Why would you be sorry? You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Akaashi looked him in the eyes and pulled him into a hug. “I’m never going to let you go through this alone ever again. We found you, and now, we’re never letting you go.”

Tsukishima understood Bokuto’s words a bit more. Having someone that could see your pain was one thing, but not knowing their pains hurt as well. He returned the hug and Kuroo and Bokuto joined them. Tsukishima firmly declared, “we’ll be there for each other.”

He felt Akaashi smile against his chest. “Yeah. Together.”

\---

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on twt: @tiredgayy


End file.
